€100m office development at docks to make Galway attractive to post-Brexit overseas companies

Galway Advertiser, Thu, Apr 06, 2017

Galway will be well positioned to be the potential home of relocating overseas companies after Brexit if the green light is granted next month to a spectacular €100m office block and retail development to be constructed at Galway docks, less than 300m from Eyre Square.

The state of the art building will be located at Dock Road, Queen Street, and Bothar na Long in the city centre. The proposal is submitted by Bonham Dock Limited with company directors listed as developer Gerry Barrett and Catherine Barrett.

In total, more than 3,000 jobs will be created in the construction and eventual occupation of the development and it could provide another boon to the city centre, as well as cleaning up an area of the docks that has lain idle since the oil storage tanks were removed from there a decade ago.

The planned €100 million complex overlooking Galway Docks will include four top-end office blocks, extending to 26,000sq m (279,850sq ft ), as well as 2,005sq m (21,581sq ft ) of retail space spread over the four buildings.

This week the company lodged a formal planning application with Galway City Council for the six-storey and seven-storey office blocks, which will share a single basement level and overlook a landscaped plaza. The site adjoins an even larger open area owned by CIE, which is also expected to be redeveloped in the coming years.

A decision on the submission is expected to be made by the City Council before the summer.

The development will be extremely attractive to companies wishing to locate to Ireland after Brexit as it is within walking distance of Eyre Square and the city centre.

The site at the docks was the former home of the massive oil storage tanks which were removed a decade ago to clear an area to be used for the initial hosting of the Volvo Ocean Race. If it gets the go-ahead, it opens the possibility of further development at the adjoining site which is owned by CIE.

At the moment, there is a shortage of top quality flexible office space in the city centre and the construction of Bonham Dock will generate great interest among a certain type of company wishing to locate in an EU country after Brexit.

With the city about to become the 2020 European Capital of Culture, its international profile as a destination of choice will make it very attractive to companies wishing to base themselves in a modern location right on the edge of Europe.

The design of the development has been undertaken by BDP, a major international practice of architects, designers, engineers, and urbanists.Originally established in 1961 as Building Design Partnership, BDP now has studios across the world. These combine local knowledge with the vision, values and infrastructure of a major award winning practice.

The new development will offer its occupants exceptional views across the city and across Galway Bay and will benefit from day-long sunlight from the west coast.